The Pillars of a Strong Family Part II: Positive Interactions

April 29, 2016

Ok, so we are all communicating better, but what now? The next pillar in creating a healthy family is positive interactions. Do you find your family often sitting around bored? Or maybe you are having trouble finding a common activity for everybody? Or maybe things have reached the point where you can’t stand to look at each other, let alone do something together?

We react to people based on our recent memory of interactions with them, as well as our long-term memory. When we have gotten into a cycle of negative, hurtful interactions, it become difficult to use healthy communication, and we find ourselves cringing when we have to talk to our loved ones. This can also create the scenario where we begin to assume we know what the reactions to news or request are going to be, further hindering communication. To continue to build healthy communication, it is important to also focus on creating positive interactions. And yes, I say creating, because these don’t just happen. Again, this pillar is work, but so is ignoring and hiding from each other!

Losing sight of positive interactions is a normal family experience. As parents we tend to have age groups we can relate to better, and feel more comfortable with. Maybe it was easy playing tag and coloring with your 5 year old, but finding common ground with your teenager might feel trickier. That’s ok! I can help you find common ground, and facilitate relationship building with positive activities in sessions, as well as finding things to do outside of session.

So what are you waiting for? Call me today to begin your journey to having a happier, healthier, stronger family.